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Film Noir Archive

In honor the Duo Double Feature Blogathon, I revisit the works of icons Robert Mitchum and Jane Russell. Their chemistry in films, His Kind of Woman (1951) and Macao (1952) lit up the screen like few duos ever have. Full essay here.

Few actors played losers with such reckless abandon. In honor of the What a Character! Blogathon, I revisit the life and career of one of my personal favorites, Elisha Cook, Jr., also known as “The Lightest Heavy in Hollywood.” Full essay here.

A gritty take on the classic detective, The Girl Hunters benefits from the starring presence of creator-turned-actor Mickey Spillane. It’s undeniably cheap in spots, but Spillane’s Mike Hammer makes for a groveling guilty pleasure. Read the full review here!

Based on James Ellroy’s seminal novel, The Black Dahlia suffered a rough production history before finally hitting theaters in 2006. Sadly, director Brian De Palma and company fall flat with this tepid throwback noir. Read the full review here!

One of the strangest films noir ever concocted, this 1955 outing barrels full speed ahead in creativity. Weaving an exaggerated world of cons and killers, Kiss Me Deadly finds Mike Hammer hot on the trail of the infamous “great whatzit.” Read the full review here!

One of the many “docu-noir” pictures made during the late 40’s, He Walked By Night surpasses its peers on the strength of cinematographer John Alton and ghost director Anthony Mann. Read the full review here!